Rule-joint.



No. 669,766. Patented Mar. I2, 19m.

0. E. RICKER.

R U L E J 0 l N T. (Application file i Aug. 18, 1900.

(No Model) Qt 2205.923: Event 07;

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PATENT Futon.

CHARLES E. RICKER, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO JUSTUS A. TRAUT, OF SAME PLACE.

RULE-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,766, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed August 18, 1900. lb'erial No. 27,247. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. RICKER, a citizen of the United States, residingin New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State ofOonnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rule-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rule-joints for folding pocket or extension rules, and particularly to the clips or fastenings by which one section of the rule is joined to the other section. Heretofore these clips have been usually formed of sheet metal having long vertical side flanges which bind for their entire length against the edges of the rule-section when the end thereof has been inserted in the clip, and it has been found iii-practice that when a rule-section is grasped and turned on its pivot to extend it the tendency is to wrench the section from its clip, owing to the fact that the lifting force applied to the end of the rule, accompanied frequently by a torsional twist, will force back the flanges, and thereby weaken their binding power to such an extent that they will fail to retain the end of the rule, and it will therefore be withdrawn from its seat.

Primarily the object of my invention is the provision of a rule-joint clip of improved construction whereby this defect in the clips of the old forms of joints is entirely obviated, as will be hereinafter explained, and while the invention is shown applied to a particular form of joint it is distinctly to be understood that it is not limited thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of two sections of an extensible or folding pocket-rule, showing clips containing my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of two of the improved clips detached from the rule-sections, and Fig. 3 is a transverse'section of one of the clips and rule-sections.

Like numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring the drawings, the numerals 5 5 designate two of the sections of a folding extensible pocket-rule of Well-known construction, and 6 6 the clips attached to. the ends of said sections and pivotally connected to each other in any desired way. In my invention each of these clips is provided with a series of interrupted holding projections or flanges 7 7', respectively, which are bent over and down upon the edges of' the rule-section, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and serve firmly to secure the clip to said section. Owing to the resiliency of the metal (preferably sheet-steel) of which the clip is manufactured, each of these projections acts as a separate spring firmly to retain the portion of the edge of the rule over which it is bent and if deflected by a torsional action of the rule will immediately spring back upon the edge thereof. In this way a series of yielding bearing projections is provided, one of which may yield without affecting the holding power of the others. As above stated, heretofore these clips have been provided with uninterrupted vertical flanges, and when strain has been placed upon one portion of the flange in extending the rule the entire flange has been released from the end of the rule-section; but by interrupting the flanges in the manner showna series of individual yielding grasping points or fingers is provided, and one of these points may be forced back without the least danger of affecting the holding power of any of the others.

In the construction of joint illustrated each clip is provided with the usual spurs 8 8, which are embedded in the material of the rule-section and prevent the longitudinaldisplacement of the clip, and the clip 6 is provided with a longitudinal indentation or groove 9 in its top for the reception of alongitudinal projection 9 in the clip 6 when the sections are swung either to their closed or fully-open positions. A curved spring 10 is fitted in the recess formed by stamping up the projection 9 in the bottom of the clip 6, and the spring and both clips are united by a pivot 13.

As stated, myinvention is not limited to the form of spring-joint shown, for it can readily be employed with other kinds of joints.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-

l. The combination, with a pair of rulesections, of clips each composed of a body having on its side edges a series of separated,

resilient projections, said projections being bent over the edges and down upon the sides of said rule-sections at the ends thereof; and means for so uniting the clips that one rulesection may be turned upon the other rule- Section.

2. In a folding rule, the combination, with rule-sections having reduced ends, of metallic clips each composed of a body having on its two sides a series of separated, resilient IO projections, said projections being bent down over the edges of the rule-sections and upon the surfaces thereof; and means for pivotally uniting said clips.

CHARLES E. RICKER. Witnesses:

J USTUS A. TRAUT,

PATRICK AHERN. 

